Warhawk's Duality
by Warhawk Talon
Summary: Skyquake wasn't the only Decepticon warrior in stasis on Earth. Team Prime awakens Warhawk not long after the Space Bridge's explosion in orbit, and try to convince the stealthy seeker to join the Autobots. But will he accept their offer, and if he does, can he be trusted? Or will the double agent play both sides for his own benefit? OC, Prime Cartoon's plot, starting at Scrapheap
1. A Sleeping Seeker

**Autobot Outpost Omega One**

It was a quiet day at the Autobot base. It had been almost a week since Starscream had awakened Skyquake, the Decpeticon sleeper agent. The powerful seeker had been sent to Earth eons ago to protect the Energon that was buried on the planet. Since the Autobots had reasoned that there might be other Decepticons hidden on Earth in a similar manner, they had asked their human liaison, Agent William Fowler, to have the human governments that were aware of Cybertronian technology alert them if another stasis capsule was found. Now Fowler was calling with the results.

"Prime!" Fowler yelled over the communications system in his customary manner of introduction.

"Yes Agent Fowler?" Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots, answered patiently. He had long ago become accustomed to Fowler's ways. "To what do we owe your call?"

"After the warning you gave us about 'Con sleepers, the big boys did some digging and found a record of an alien artifact that is similar to the stasis pod you recovered from the canyon. It's not an exact match, but it's definitely something from your planet."

Arcee, a blue two-wheeler femme, stepped up so that Fowler would be able to hear her. "So why weren't we informed about this before? We've all been on this planet for over three years now."

"I know, and I would have told you if I had know about it before. The thing was dug up over four decades ago, and pretty much forgotten about after a couple years of the scientists failing to learn much about it."

"We may be able to learn more after it is opened Agent Fowler," Optimus replied. "I believe that we should awaken whoever may be inside the pod, and I hope to gain a new ally in our fight against the Decepticons."

"Even after Skyquake refused to join us, you still think that any Decepticon would be willing to change sides?" Ratchet asked from his place at the controls of the computer system. Ratchet was one of Optimus' oldest friends, and served as the team's medic.

"One can always hope. And it is in our best interest to discover this sleeper's allegiance now, rather then give Starscream another chance to recruit a warrior to his cause."

"Alright then. I'll get the thing moved into one of the hangers at the Air Force base where it's being stored," Fowler acknowledged. "_And_ I'll make sure that there aren't any vehicles in sight of the thing in case whatever is in there isn't friendly. I'll call you when everything is ready for you to come over." With that, the agent signed off the line.

Optimus turned to his SIC. "Arcee, go with Bumblebee and Bulkhead to gather our human friends from their school. You should return in time to accompany Ratchet and myself to Agent Fowler's location."

Arcee gave a quick nod before leaving to find the other Autobots, while Ratchet gave his leader a surprised look upon hearing that he would be going on this mission. "Optimus, wouldn't Bulkhead be better suited to provide you with backup?"

"While Bulkhead is a capable warrior, he tends to cause unnecessary amounts of damage to his surroundings. Inside a human base, this is something that should be avoided. And your medical skills may be needed."

A little less then an hour later, all of Team Prime was assembled in the centre of their base, with the Ground-bridge ready to transport them to the coordinates that Fowler had provided. Bumblebee stood by the control console, and activated the wormhole for the away team. In seconds Optimus, Arcee, and Ratchet transformed into a red and blue big rig, a blue motorcycle, and a red and white ambulance respectively, before driving through the Ground-bridge's event horizon.

As they left, Jack, who was the oldest of the teenagers there, looked over at Raf. "So exactly where is this military base that hides alien artifacts?"

The young tech genius looked up the GPS coordinates that Fowler had provided, then started laughing.

"What's so funny?" Miko, the lone girl of the group asked. She and Jack looked over Raf's shoulder at the screen. "Oh! I guess all those conspiracy nuts were right after all!"

* * *

**USAF Base Area 51**

"It's right over here," Fowler said as he led the three Autobots towards a corner of the nearly empty hanger. During the time he had before he signalled for the Autobots to arrive, Fowler had ordered the men on duty to move all of the aircraft to another hanger. The stasis pod had been placed in the corner facing outwards, guaranteeing that the occupant would have to face all three Autobots at the same time.

The pod was massive, much larger then even Optimus, as it had been designed to be able to fit a Cybertronian of any size. Ratchet ran a scan over it with the scanner built into his arm. "The good news is that I am picking up life signs in there. The bad news is that there is no way to determine whether this pod is Autobot or Decepticon."

Fowler frowned. "So we'll have to open it to find out if it's one of your men. Shame, I would have liked to know if we were dealing with a Con. Then we could have blown the pod before it could cause any problems."

"I would prefer to offer a Decepticon an opportunity to surrender first Agent Fowler. In any case, destroying a stasis pod of this kind from the outside is beyond our capabilities," Optimus replied solemnly. "Ratchet, begin the Energon infusion."

The medic nodded before drawing a (relatively) small cube of Energon out of the trunk on his back, and carefully placed it in the slot in the front of the stasis pod. The glowing cube was sucked into the slot, and the blue light spread throughout channels in the machinery before becoming too bright for even the optics of the Transformers. Then the glow quickly faded, and the large circular lock on the near-black obelisk spun apart. Dramatically, the pod's doors slowly opened wide, revealing...

_Nothing._

"Huh?" Arcee exclaimed, stepping forward to look inside better while holding her blaster-arm at the ready. "Was it empty after all that?"

"No, my scanner wouldn't give me a false reading in this circumstance. Besides, the pod wouldn't have accepted the Energon in that case. There was someone in there." Ratchet responded.

Everyone winced as a high-pitched, whining sound filled the air, and the occupant of the seemingly empty pod faded into view.

"A cloaking device," Ratchet said in slight awe as the mech stepped into the light, causing Arcee to back away while still keeping her gun trained on him. Personal cloaking devices that could turn the user completely invisible were rather rare, even on Cybertron during the machine-planet's Golden Age. The medic knew of only a few Cybertronians with such a device, and this certainly wasn't the Autobot Mirage.

Much more worrying was that the mech had a seeker's build, as most Cybertronians capable of flight were Decepticons. Rather small for a flier, he was slightly shorter then Ratchet in height, as well as being quite a bit more slender. Mostly coloured a dark grey with deep red lines as accents, his helm was shaped similarly to the hood of a cloak, keeping the upper half of his face in shadow. The large wings that jutted upwards on his back were clearly his most distinctive feature, while the bright red optics that gazed out from his shadowed face coming in a close second. There were no obvious weapons on him, though the three fingers on each hand did end in claws. All in all, he had a menacing look about him, and his size did nothing to detract from it.

"Stay back 'Con, and put up your hands!" Arcee ordered as he took another step. The seeker stopped moving, but otherwise ignored her. Then he spoke for the second time, directing his Cybertronian words to the Autobot leader in front of him.

"_Autobots. It figures that you would be the ones to find me, considering how the Harbinger was destroyed. Although going by my internal chronometer, you are several eons behind schedule." _

Optimus raised an eyebrow before replying in the same language. _"You are a Decepticon? State your name and intentions," _he commanded, arming his left sword and right cannons.

"_I am Ex-21/s, otherwise known as Warhawk. My current intentions are to receive an update on the war, my location, your own identification and intentions, and then form an appropriate response."_

Upon the admission that he was a Con, Ratchet gestured for Agent Fowler to clear the area before readying his blades, while Arcee adjusted her aim to focus on Warhawk's head.

"_I am Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots. Cybertron has been rendered uninhabitable by the war, and both factions are in exile on this planet, _Earth," Optimus replied truthfully, realizing that this Decepticon had been away from battle for a very long time. Perhaps he would recognize that joining the Autobots would be a wise decision. _"The Autobots are currently fighting to protect this planet's natives from the Decepticons, and secure Energon for our own use. Recently Megatron was destroyed by a Space-bridge explosion, and the Decepticons are lead by Starscream."_

Warhawk's eyes narrowed to red slits. _"That is disheartening news for my cause if it is true. However, you did not mention your intentions towards myself, although I doubt you will simply allow me to __leave."_

This was the pivotal moment. Would the seeker accept his offer? _"While I cannot allow you to rejoin the Decepticons, I do offer something more then a choice between surrender and destruction. Join the Autobots, and help us put an end to this war forever," _Optimus proposed, disarming and offering a hand to the other mech.

* * *

The moments seemed to drag on as Warhawk considered the Prime's words. _On one servo, the Autobots have the advantage over myself in this situation,_ he pondered._ On the other, I don't know if the Prime's words about Cybertron and Megatron are true. Even if they are, I might stand to gain more by staying true to my current allegiance. This calls for further research. _

Without any other conversation, the seeker leaped into the air and activated the jump-jets on his back, startling Arcee into opening fire. Even at close range, the speed and abruptness of Warhawk's movement prevented her from scoring more then a few glancing hits on upper legs as he soared over her head. Landing in a crouch and emitting the same high-pitched noise as before, he disappeared from the visible spectrum while running unseen to the hanger's entrance.

However, he could not remain silent while moving at that speed, and the two Autobot warriors were in hot pursuit, firing in his general direction in the hopes of getting a lucky shot in. Fortunately for Warhawk, his small frame prevented any of the wild blasts from striking him during the short time he was exposed to their aim. Ducking around the hanger's corner, he searched for a place to hide and deactivate his cloak. The one weakness to it's design was that while it could hide him from both sight and sensor, the amount of time it could be used without suffering an overheat was restrictively short. Spotting another building similar to the one he had just escaped, he reached the inside only a few seconds before the Autobots made it out onto the tarmac.

_Primary Problem: Autobot forces intent on my capture._

_Possible Primary Solution: Destruction of Autobots – Last resort due to lack of tactical advantage_

_Possible Primary Solution: Receive Decepticon reinforcements. Would provide tactical advantage and provide __opportunity to destroy Autobot leadership._

_ Sub-Problem: Requires communication with Decepticon forces and time for them to arrive._

_Possible Primary Solution: Escape area. Preferable. Safe. Maintains current non-aggressive stance towards __Autobots._

_ Sub-Problem: Autobot vehicle modes render escape by ground impossible._

_Sub-Solution: Acquire aerial alt-__mode. __In-Progress..._

* * *

Optimus and Arcee walked slowly as they spread out from the entrance of the hanger, keeping both audio sensors and optics alert for any signs of the invisible Decepticon. Without any idea of the limitations of Warhawk's abilities, they would have to remain on guard for him trying to sneak by if he hadn't already escaped their reach.

"Bumblebee, Bulkhead, bridge to our location. We require your assistance to search for the Decepticon. Raf, close the Ground-bridge behind them," Optimus ordered.

"Is there any use trying at this point?" Ratchet asked pessimally as he caught up to them. "He is probably long gone by now."

"While that may be true, without a vehicle mode Warhawk is still vulnerable. If we can keep him on the ground, there is still a chance to catch him," Optimus explained.

"In that case, we need to make sure he doesn't find where Fowler stashed all of the planes," Arcee reasoned as their reinforcements arrived. "Bumblebee, you're with me. We'll check the hangers."

As they approached the closest building, a sudden explosion erupted from it's roof. As the grounded Cybertronians watched, a dark jet took off out of the hole, going straight up with extreme speed. It was far too quick for them to draw a bead on, and was quickly out of sight.

Coming out of his hiding place, William Fowler rubbed his forehead in annoyance when he saw the smoking roof. "Well isn't this just _perfect."_


	2. Base Time

**Autobot Outpost Omega One – Main Hub**

"_Rafael, we require a ground-bridge."_

"Coming up Ratchet," Raf replied as he activated the controls. A moment later the whole of Team Prime was through the ground-bridge, along with Agent Fowler.

"So I take it the new guy wasn't friendly," Jack stated, noticing that they lacked the hoped-for new recruit. "What went wrong?"

Ratchet scowled as he stomped over to his console to begin a search for the Decepticon's energy signature. "Humph! What didn't go wrong? We just woke up a Decepticon who is equipped with a working PCD, and not only allowed him to escape, but let him acquire a vehicle mode!"

"Whoa, back up. What's a 'PCD?'" Miko asked.

"A Personal Cloaking Device," the medic replied, for once annoyed at something other then the girl's questions. "They hide their users from detection, although they have limits. The one Warhawk used made him completely invisible, which means it is a very advanced version."

"Which means now we have to watch our backs even more then usual," Bulkhead complained.

"An invisible Con, now that is cool! To bad we didn't get him on our side, right Bulk?" Miko commented to her guardian. "Did you see what kind of plane he turns into?"

"Only got a glimpse, the guy took off so fast."

Fowler sat down at one of the humans sized computers. "I can help with that. The building that the Con busted out of was the experimental hanger. We use it to maintain and prepare any aircraft that are undergoing testing, so they are kept away from the regular stuff. Not to mention that anything in there is normally top secret, so I don't want any of you to mention this to anybody." He finished with a pointed look at a certain Japanese punk.

"It's not like I'm not already keeping a big secret! _Giant alien robots,_ remember?" Miko protested loudly.

"Weren't you the one who wanted Bulkhead to do his guard duty at your house in robot mode?" Jack asked, clearly amused.

While Miko sulked, Fowler brought up the files he had been looking for on the main screen. "Anyway, this means that there was only one plane in that hanger at the time for the guy to scan. Unfortunately, it was also the most advanced stealth fighter the US has ever designed."

A picture appeared of the jet in question, which was shaped like a bladed spear head. Unlike traditional jets, the main wings were located at the rear and were swept forward. "The Talon Mk. II, armed with twin autocannons, and an internal rotary missile rack. It also features a moving wing system, allowing it to optimize it's wingspan for either speeds in excess of Mach 6 or extreme manoeuvrability at any altitude, with stealth capability at all times. It was designed as a successor to the first Talon planes, implementing the newer electrostatic wing technology, which don't require moving parts to use the flaps."

"If these planes are so advanced, why are they not in use?" Ratchet asked, disbelieving as always in human technology.

"Mostly because they are so darn expensive to make. But it's also because only the best pilots are qualified to fly them. There were only three Mk. I Talons ever made, and they were all destroyed in some top-secret fiasco that went down a couple of years ago. The project ended up being shut down. The Mk. II that Con scanned is a prototype that R&D was modifying to try and prove the design was still worth the cost."

Fowler gave another glare to the image on the screen, as if it were the source of all his troubles. "Not to mention that's only with human tech providing the speed and firepower. Imagine what kind of damage this Warhawk fellow is going to be capable of."

* * *

**Decepticon Warship _Nemesis_**

"It's certainly fortunate for our cause you were able to escape the Autobots and join us," Starscream remarked as he gave Warhawk a tour of the _Nemesis._ "While our troopers do let us outnumber them by hundreds of soldiers, they are no substitute for true warriors."

They stopped in front of a large door, which was guarded by two Eradicon troopers. "This is our weapon storage bay. Should you ever need to re-arm yourself, this is where you can find what you need," Starscream said, leading the way into the room. Then he scowled. "Regrettably, many of the weapons used by both sides during the War for Cybertron are no longer of use. Without the factories and resources that used to drive the war effort, it is impossible to create replacement parts or new ammunition. Now we simply rely on Energon-fueled weapons."

Warhawk raised a brow. "I certainly hope that we have a supply of missiles. Our air forces will not be very effective without heavy firepower."

"Yes, of course. We _can_ manufacture those at least."

"Good," Warhawk replied as he made his way around the room, examining the weapon on the racks. "My new alt-mode was not armed when I scanned it, so I need to resupply." He searched for a moment to find the missile supply, and began to look through the different types. "Let's see, air-to-air, air-to-ground, dumb fire bombs..."

Starscream watched as the stealth operative sorted through the selection, picking ten warheads of various types and fitting four in each arm's internal storage. "Do you really need so many?" the Commander asked, feeling slightly underpowered in comparison, with only one missile on each of his own arms."

"Affirmative. I prefer not to have to return to base and re-arm in the middle of a battle, and it helps me be prepared for different situations. I require two more to be fully loaded, but I'd prefer to get something different. Like this one, I don't think I've ever seen this before," he said as he held up a new type of missile.

The glyphs on the side...this is human writing, this "English" that we are speaking now. This is a human weapon." Warhawk looked to the silver seeker curiously.

"That is a Truncheon Implosion bomb," Starscream explained. "The humans designed them to cause structures to collapse in towards the warhead. After witnessing it's effect's on the _Nemesis_ and one of our Energon mines, I had some obtained from the humans in order to design our own version. Unfortunately, it's casing and the lack of anything recognizable after detonation have prevented analysis. We only have a small supply, so use them sparingly if you don't want to go steal more from the humans."

Warhawk nodded as he fit two of the bombs to his racks, then gave the hidden rotary launcher an experimental spin. "Zero balance issues, full rotation, excellent. Ready for deployment Commander Starscream."

"I will alert you when I have need of your talents. Meanwhile, I want you to familiarize yourself with this planet, and how we've adapted to it. Soundwave can provide you with the necessary files." Starscream started to walk away when Warhawk's next words stopped him short.

"Sir, you haven't mentioned Lord Megatron at all since I arrived. Where is he?"

"Not long ago, the Autobots managed to destroy our orbital Space-Bridge. Lord Megatron was at ground zero when it detonated."

_So the Prime was telling the truth after all. _Warhawk thought. "That is a terrible loss for all Decepticons," he said aloud.

Still with his back turned to the other seeker, Starscream scowled. He would much rather keep Warhawk in the dark and ensure the assassin's loyalty to Starscream alone. But he also knew the stealth specialist was far to smart to keep most of the truth from him. He forced his face back into a neutral expression before turning around. "Actually, by some miracle Megatron survived. He is currently in a coma in the medical bay, attached to life support. But there is no indication as to how long it may take for him to recover, or even if he ever will."

Warhawk nodded, clearly understanding the Commander's unspoken wishes on the matter. It was no secret how much Starscream desired to be in control of the Decepticons, with the seeker often claiming leadership if Megatron ever went missing during a battle. Starscream had never actually tried to take the title of Lord by force however...

With nothing more to say on the matter, Warhawk made his way to the exit, planning to set up his new quarters. But as he passed by the larger seeker, Starscream stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "Until the day Megatron awakens, if ever arrives, _I_ rule the Decepticons. As such, I expect to be addressed as _Lord_ Starscream."

Warhawk carefully removed the razor clawed, long fingered hands from his armour as he met Starscream's optics with a glare. His eyes blazed from his helm's shadow in challenge. "Negative, _Commander._ Not until the moment Lord Megatron becomes one with the Allspark and can never command us again."


	3. Con Job

**Decepticon Warship _Nemesis –_ Warhawk's Quarters**

Life on board the _Nemesis_ was strange for Warhawk. When he had gone into stasis so many eons ago, the war had been at it's zenith. Both sides had begun using spacecraft regularly, and the battles that had once been contained to Cybertron had been waged across galaxies. Whether you lived in a city or on a ship, you had to be prepared for battle at any time. One never new if you would be ambushed or when the next attack would be ordered. Even if you weren't on fighting duty, there was always work to do. As an assassin, Warhawk wasn't risked very often on the main fields of battle. Instead, he was usually sent to work in the research corps when he wasn't on assignment. This was likely due to his creator's reputation, although the mech in question had been pleased that Warhawk proved to be capable of more then just his primary function.

He had enjoyed the scientific work, and had become a rather proficient engineer in upgrading weapons and equipment. In fact, Warhawk had designed his own PCD. Normally cloaking units would still be identifiable by their weapons fire and a shimmer while moving. It was one of the reasons why a PCD was normally useless for a flier, due to the high speeds an aircraft moves at. Warhawk had managed to correct those flaws, with the downside of a greatly reduced usage time if he didn't keep his systems cooled. Fortunately, high-speed, high-altitude flight was a great cooling method, which meant he only had to worry about a short time limit on the ground.

The _Nemesis_ used a different type of cloaking technology, one that only hid the ship from sensors, not the visual spectrum. By keeping on the move and out of sight, the warship was almost impossible to locate without already knowing it's co-ordinates. This was what made life on Earth so different for Warhawk; there was no fear of attack. The only times that patrols were even made was when the ship flew in low to visit one of the many Energon mines the Decepticons ran. With no flying Autobots on Earth, those were the only times they had to worry about the _Nemesis_ coming under attack.

And without the knowledge of the Autobot base's location, there was no way for Warhawk to try to launch a stealth attack and take out Team Prime. So Warhawk spent his days training, trying to get to know the other Decepticons on board, and researching Earth.

Getting along with his fellow Decepticons was the hardest part of this, as there really weren't many worth conversing with during downtime. Soundwave was impossible to hold a proper conversation with, and was always working anyway. Warhawk suspected that Soundwave spent as much time spying on the _Nemesis' _crew as searching for the Autobots. Frankly, even the normally stoic assassin was slightly crept out by not knowing if the spymaster was watching him at all. As a mech who relied upon being able to remain undetected, it was very unnerving. As for Starscream, he was still fuming about Warhawk's "insolence" and had shown his displeasure by restricting how often the stealth specialist was allowed to leave the ship. It wasn't like he could actually stop an invisible jet from going out for a quick fly, but Warhawk abode by the Commander's orders for now. He wasn't actively trying to provoke the elder seeker, just following the true chain of command.

There were only three other Decepticons on board the _Nemesis_ other then the hundreds of faceless drones. Knockout, Breakdown, and Makeshift.

Knockout was the medic, and had been assigned to try and repair Megatron. Warhawk found him rather interesting to speak to, as the sports car had a scientific mind and very little respect for authority. He probably got away with as much as he did simply because his skills were too valuable to loose. Knockout was also incredibly vain, always polishing himself instead of doing work. But what often forced Warhawk away in disgust how little he cared about his patients, and often showing vindictive and sadistic tendencies. Warhawk felt that if it didn't serve a purpose, there was no point in being cruel towards one's victims.

Breakdown was a front-line warrior, with strength and armour to spare. He also worked in the med bay as Knockout assistant. He was sociable enough with Warhawk, often cracking (slightly demeaning) jokes and offering to spar with the seeker for training sessions. Warhawk enjoyed the practice, although he realized after he failed to dodge a hit that the bruiser's hammer could do a lot more damage then he originally thought. All in all though, Breakdown was certainly someone Warhawk could find himself getting along with.

The final Con was Makeshift, someone who Warhawk knew from the infiltration corps on Cybertron. But while Warhawk's style of infiltration involved avoiding being seen, Makeshift was all about hiding in plain sight. The mech had the uncommon ability to transform into a perfect copy of any Cybertronian, as long as he could scan them or get access to their personnel files. Makeshift would pretend to be one of the enemy, and either act as a mole or sabotage their operations. Warhawk didn't care for the guy, mostly because Doublespies were famously disloyal. They would serve any and everyone for their gain. Makeshift was true to form, and was one of those on board who had went along with calling Starscream _Lord_ as soon as Megatron had been incapacitated.

Due to the lack of decent company on board the warship, doing "Earth Research" had quickly become Warhawk's favourite activity. Soundwave had given him access to the human Internet, and he had been astounded by the wealth of information. It wasn't just the amount of data that surprised him however, but how freely available it was. On Cybertron, even basic historical, scientific, artistic, and military knowledge had been heavily restricted, first by the caste system, and then as a result of the war. At that point, allowing the opposing side, or even your own troops, any information at all could have disastrous consequences. One never knew when one might be captured after all.

And while the humans certainly weren't putting up military secrets online, there was a wealth of historical, political, and artistic data that Warhawk, as member of the military and scientific communities, would never have been permitted to view on the homeworld. One of the most interesting parts of the human world that Warhawk had found were science-fiction stories, either in books or video form. As a scientist and an engineer, he was fascinated by the thousands of different ideas the humans had come up with for advanced technology, but were beyond their current capabilities. It also surprised him how often he found parallels between their ideas and Cybertronian tech. Starships, Space-Bridges, the Vehicon and Eradicon troopers, Trypticon Station, they all had human versions in fiction. And there were other ideas as well, some of which Warhawk though would be possible with Cybertronian technology. The only reason that they hadn't be built before now was because the humans were the first ones to come up with the idea.

Currently Warhawk was looking through lists of fictional weapons, browsing for ideas. He had already resolved to replicate a wrist-mounted concealed knife featured in a video game series. It may have seemed redundant considering that he could simply changed one of his arms' weapon modes to get the same effect, but he liked the idea of a backup weapon in case his hands were bound or his T-cog became damaged.

Of course, that wasn't to say he wouldn't be making any improvements.

* * *

"_Warhawk! Report to the bridge immediately,"_ Starscream ordered over the comm system.

A few minutes later Warhawk was on the bridge, his armour slightly stained from some experiments he was performing in a workshop he had set up for himself. "Yes, Commander Starscream?

Starscream's eye twitched at the perceived slight against his rank, but let it pass. "I have a mission for you. An Autobot named Wheeljack will be arriving on Earth in a few hours. You will lead a squadron to shoot down his ship and capture him before the Autobots arrive to meet him. Then Makeshift will take his place among the Autobots in order to lead us to their hidden base."

Warhawk nodded in understanding, as it was a very simple plan. There was a good chance it would work too, with the only weakness being that the plan relied on Makeshift's disguise holding up long enough for the Decepticons to arrive. "I'll get the troopers ready right away," he replied.

"Be certain that you allow Wheeljack to destroy most of the drones before you capture him," Starscream called after Warhawk as the smaller mech walked out. "We do want the Autobots to be convinced they have the genuine article."

* * *

**Egypt – Near the Great Pyramids**

Warhawk watched from the air and behind the cover of his cloak as Wheeljack took down a fourth trooper. _The Wrecker is good, I'll give him that._ He tapped his com-line to the _Nemesis_. "Send in the replacement," he ordered as he dropped out of the sky behind Wheeljack. At the sound of his landing, the Autobot whirled around, but became confused that there was no-one there. He didn't get a chance to recover from his mistake, as Warhawk tackled him to the ground in the moment before his cloak wore off. Pinning Wheeljack down with a knee, he quickly snapped a pair of stasis cuffs onto the Wrecker's hands. It was all over before his victim even knew what hit him.

Warhawk hoisted Wheeljack up as a Ground-bridge portal opened in front of them. Wheeljack craned his neck as he was marched towards the bridge, trying to get a look at who had ambushed him. "So where did you come from? And who's Ugly?" he added at the sight of Makeshift coming out of the portal.

Of course, at this point Makeshift had already assumed Wheeljack's appearance. Warhawk just gave a rare laugh at the Autobot's joke as they walked past the imposter and into the Ground-bridge. A squad of Vehicons was waiting on the other side to take Wheeljack off of the seeker's hands. They quickly escorted him to the brig, with Warhawk following just in case.

Warhawk actually thought the brig was a bit of a disappointment. There were no cages or cells, just on big room with chains hanging from the ceiling. Wheeljack was hoisted up and fastened to the chains by a set of electronic shackles. _It'll have to be enough,_Warhawk thought as Starscream and Soundwave entered the room.

"Tell Megatron he's fragged in the head if he thinks Bulkhead won't sniff out an imposter," Wheeljack said defiantly.

Starscream gave a slight growl of frustration. He was getting tired of not being treated like he was in charge. "Haven't you heard? _I _lead the Decepticons now."

"_You?_ HAH!" the prisoner laughed, causing Starscream to snarl and pull an arm back in preparation of a fatal blow. Only Soundwave's quick grab of his arm brought him back to his senses in time.

"Yess, yes, he may yet be of use." He waved his claws in Wheeljack's face. "Makeshift is very good at keeping up appearances. He need only fool your friends long enough to open their Ground-bridge from within – so that I may finally learn the location of the Autobot base, and send in my strike team to stain it's floor with the spilled Energon of _Optimus Prime!_"

* * *

**Decepticon Warship _Nemesis –_ Bridge**

Commander Starscream was furious. This was with good reason, considering the events that had occurred over the last 12 hours.

"How could it have gone so wrong!" Starscream screeched on the bridge. "We had a man on the inside, and an Autobot as a helpless prisoner! And then everything turned against us! Makeshift didn't open the Ground-bridge soon enough, Wheeljack escaped and delayed the strike team, and then Makeshift's grenade takes out our best chance to learn where their base is!"

"Logically, the plan should have worked," Warhawk agreed, standing next to Soundwave where they had been listening to their leader's rant. "There must have been unforeseen factors that prevented Makeshift from contacting us sooner. Wheeljack's escape would have been unimportant if we had been able to attack sooner."

"Instead, he breaks out at just the right time to cause us the most problems! Curse their Autobot luck!" Starscream hissed. "Time after time, they are saved by coincidences, not planning or skill!"

_Luck may play a factor, but the Wrecker wasn't lacking skill. He destroyed a quarter of the attack force alone,while fending off myself and Starscream. Not to mention ensuring that Makeshift wouldn't survive to give a report._ Warhawk felt very little sorrow at the passing of their comrade. He had never met a Doublespy who he felt he could trust, even if Makeshift had performed his duties loyally.

Warhawk remained silent, reflecting the surveillance expert next to him. After a moment of waiting, Starscream realized his audience wasn't going to encourage his speech. "You are dismissed Warhawk."

With a small bow Warhawk left, intending to get back to his lab and finish his self-upgrades. He had work to do.


End file.
